Allison Zorn, 19, believes school taking allegation lightly

A Bethany College student who says she was sexually assaulted in November is now among the cases under review by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for possible violations of federal law surrounding sexual violence complaints at higher education campuses.

Fifty-five colleges and universities -- big and small, public and private -- are being investigated over their handling of sexual abuse complaints under Title IX, the Education Department revealed Thursday.

She said the assault happened after she joined a few friends at a frat house for a couple of beers. Then, she said, she drank another beer and a shot at the Bison Inn, which is within walking distance from the frat house.

She suspects she was slipped a drug in the early hours of Nov. 21. Hours later, she woke up on a bed at the frat house without her underwear. She said she had never felt so cloudy, nauseous and bloody before.

Zorn: "I was sore around my body."

Reporter: "What went through your mind?"

Zorn: "I was scared."

That day, she said, she confided to the dean of students, worried she was sexually assaulted by a male and a female, and reported that onlookers posted Snapchat videos that captured what she believes may have been pieces of the incident.

"All that was said was, 'Do I want to press charges?' And that wasn't what I was really looking for. It was kind of like, at the time, it was a cry for help," said Zorn.

Reporter: "Did the dean suggest that you get medical attention?"

Zorn: "No."

She said she filed a police report hours later, and no rape kit was taken.

The school declined an interview, citing the pending Department of Education inquiry, but released a statement, saying, "The college first learned of the complaint filed from the Department of Education this week, and it is based upon an alleged sexual assault that was reported to the college this fall.

Upon the assault being reported to the college, law enforcement was immediately contacted by college personnel. At that time, law enforcement launched an investigation that ran concurrent to the internal student conduct investigation that the college initiated. The matter was investigated by local and state police and taken to the Brooke County grand jury where they did not produce an indictment in the case. We feel strongly that we have fully complied with both the spirit and the letter of the law as it relates to both the Clery Act and The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act. The college always reserves the right to reopen any investigation if new evidence is provided. Because the safety of our students is our priority, we take any allegations of sexual assault very seriously."

But the grand jury found no probable cause against the two potential defendants. While Allison Zorn said the police failed to take her case seriously, Brooke County's district attorney calls the investigation thorough and notes DNA was not a relevant factor.

"The issue did not really revolve around was there sexual contact, the issue was a consent issue or an intoxication issue," said Brooke County District Attorney Joseph Barki.

While the Department of Education said it publicized the schools under investigation to bring more transparency, Allison Zorn hopes it will spur other change, too.

"Eventually, I think something can be done if more girls start speaking up," she said.

INVESTIGATORS TALK TO THE LOCAL STUDENT WHO SAYS HER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS DID LITTLE TO HELP. Reporter: SHE SAYS SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BUT THE SCHOOL AND POLICE BOTCHED THE INVESTIGATION. NOW ALISON ZORN HOPES A FEDERAL PROBE WILL GIVE HER SOME JUSTICE. ALISON ANTICIPATED SOPHOMORE YEAR WITH EXCITEMENT. INSTEAD, HER COLLEGE EXPERIENCE TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE ON NOVEMBER 21st. STILL MAKES ME ANGRY BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE JUST TAKING IT LIGHTLY. Reporter: THE 19-YEAR-OLD SAYS SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AFTER SHE JOINED A FEW FRIENDS AT THIS FRAT HOUSE FOR A COUPLE BEERS. THEN SHE SAYS SHE DRANK ANOTHER BEER AND A SHOT HERE. AFTER THAT, THAT'S WHEN THE NIGHT BECOMES -- IT'S JUST BLURRY AND THEN IT GOES -- I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING. Reporter: ALISON SUSPECTS SHE WAS SLIPPED A DRUG. THE NEXT DAY SHE WOKE UP ON A BED AT THE FRAT HOUSE WITHOUT HER UNDERWEAR. SHE SAYS SHE HAD NEVER FELT SO CLOUDY, NAUSEOUS, AND BLOODY BEFORE. I WAS SORE AROUND MY BODY. Reporter: WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND? I WAS SCARED. Reporter: THAT DAY SHE SAYS SHE CONFIDED TO THE DEAN OF STUDENTS WORRIED SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY A MALE AND FEMALE AND REPORTED THAT ONLOOKERS POSTED SNAP CHAT VIDEOS THAT CAPTURED WHAT SHE BELIEVES MAY HAVE BEEN PIECES OF THE INCIDENT. ALL THAT WAS SAID WAS DO I WANT TO PRESS CHARGES. AND THAT WASN'T REALLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, AT THE TIME -- IT WAS A CRY FOR HELP. Reporter: DID THE DEAN SUGGEST THAT YOU GET MEDICAL ATTENTION? NO. Reporter: SHE SAYS SHE FILED A POLICE REPORT HOURS LATER AND NO RAPE KIT WAS TAKEN. NOW BETHANY COLLEGE IS LISTED AMONG DOZENS OF CAMPUSES UNDER REVIEW BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR POSSIBLE VIOL VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW AROUND SEXUAL VIOLENCE. AND ALISON'S CASE IS ONE OF THEM. THE SCHOOL SAYS, IN PART, UPON THE ASSAULT BEING REPORTED TO THE COLLEGE, LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED BY COLLEGE PERSONNEL. LAW ENFORCEMENT LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION THAT RAN CONCURRENT TO THE INTERNAL STUDENT CONDUCT INVESTIGATION THAT THE COLLEGE INITIATED. WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE HAVE FULLY COMPLIED. THERE'S CORRUPTION SOMEWHERE IN HERE. Reporter: THE GRAND JURY FOUND INTO PROBABLE CAUSE AGAINST THE TWO ALLEGED DEFENDANTS. WHILE ALISON SAYS THE POLICE FAILED TO TAKE HER CASE SERIOUSLY, BROOKE COUNTY'S D.A. CALLS THE INVESTIGATION THOROUGH AND NOTES DNA WAS NOT A RELEVANT FACTOR. THE ISSUE DID NOT REALLY REVOLVE AROUND WAS THERE SEXUAL CONTACT. THE ISSUE WAS A CONSENT ISSUE OR AN INTOXICATION ISSUE. Reporter: WHILE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SAYS IT PUBLICIZED THE SCHOOLS UNDER INVESTIGATION TO BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY, ALISON HOPES IT WILL SPUR OTHER CHANGE, TOO. EVENTUALLY I THINK SOMETHING CAN BE DONE IF MORE GIRLS START